Return of Erie fireworks was splendid and stirring: Letters to the editor

Saturday

Jul 14, 2018 at 2:01 AM

How spectacular! How glorious! That’s how I felt — as I’m sure everyone else who was there felt — about the fireworks display on July 3 at Dobbins Landing. Lights over Lake Erie was 15 minutes of sheer delight.

Kudos to the city of Erie and Mercyhurst University for bringing back this crowd-pleasing tradition. I don’t know who coordinated the display, but what an incredible show they assembled.

How wonderful it was to see the smiling, excited faces of young and old enjoying the evening on the bayfront celebrating our freedom. God Bless America!

— Mary Duncan, Erie

People should stand when

patriotic songs are sung

As Lindsay Vendetti sang "God Bless the USA" at the 8 Great Tuesdays concert on July 3, I was saddened to see how many people remained in their seats during this song. What could have been a wonderful feeling of unity and safety among citizens was extremely disappointing to say the least.

It felt like I was sitting among a group of people who could not be bothered to stand for anything. Also, what does this lack of unity teach our children? We are losing all sense of nationalism, which is concerning! If you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything. I choose to stand!

— C. Smith, Franklin Township

In world of 'Trumplandia,'

alternative facts rule day

Skip Georgal's June 29 letter defending President Donald Trump gives us a glimpse into the cockeyed world of Trumplandia, where alternative facts rule.

"He was elected by a majority of Americans." That's not even half-right. Hillary Clinton received almost 2.9 million more votes than Trump.

"He gets criticized no matter what he does."

This implies that everything Trump has done has been good. Nothing Trump has done has been good.

"We are teaching our kids it's OK to hate and show disrespect to the president of our country."

Perhaps the worst thing Trump has done to America is foster a culture of hate. Hatred toward Mexicans, Muslims, political opponents, women, the disadvantaged, anyone who gets in his way and objective truth.

"This is no good for our country."

This suggests that Americans do not have a right to criticize policies that we not only oppose, but that we find morally abhorrent or unconstitutional. Well, we do.

That, no doubt, is one reason Georgal's grandparents immigrated from Lithuania. They wanted to live in a democracy where freedom of speech and press are protected.

Even before he hinted at political ambitions, Trump, the businessman, had already established a record as a dishonest, unethical, incompetent sharpie whose primary goal was always self-aggrandizement.

Trump began his political career by peddling the ludicrous, hateful lie that Barack Obama was not the legitimate president of the United States. This was the beginning of a pattern of bald-faced lies that he continues to practice with nearly every breath.

I'm glad Georgal's grandparents were welcomed into this country at a time when we had an open-door immigration policy. Times have changed.

— Regis Sabol, Erie

We should focus on unborn

citizens, not immigrants

Watching cable television news about the caravan of people approaching our Southern border, we were told our government is asking Mexico to help us keep these hundreds of people from illegally entering our country. Their laws on immigration are so strict, they jailed a U.S. Marine who accidentally crossed over the border and wouldn't let him just turn around and come back.

Why are politicians and others desiring to bring so many alien people into our country, all the while supporting the destruction of more than 50 million of our own unborn citizens at least since the U.S. Supreme Court decision on abortion on Jan. 22, 1973? If anyone is suffering and being persecuted, they are.

Our tax dollars, without our approval, are being given by our legislators in Washington, D.C., to a group called Planned Parenthood, which has millions of dollars in its bank accounts. It is the biggest abortion clinic operation in the U.S. It advertises a few female services, but then refers women out to other clinics. Why not fund those community clinics too?

When its founder, Margaret Sanger, began telling poor black people she worked with to “plan their families,” she expressed a view that she wanted to help them. She also said at other times that inferior people should not have children or only one or two. She was a conflicted woman.

Hillary Clinton said the pro-life women were going to have to become "modern women." God help us if our Christian nation elects such a person to the office of the president of the United States.

— Peg Mitchell, Millcreek Township

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